Refund policy

Return and Refund Policy

Last updated: [July 25, 2026]

Thank you for shopping with Aka Miniverse. Many of our products are handmade, made to order, fully customized, produced in small batches, or created by authorized guest artists. Because these products differ from ordinary mass-produced merchandise, return eligibility depends on the type of product purchased.

Please read this policy carefully before placing your order.

1. Order Problems and Items Damaged in Transit

Please inspect your order as soon as it is delivered.

If an item arrives damaged, defective, incorrect, or materially different from the product ordered, contact us at hello.akameowniverse@gmail.com within 5 calendar days of the delivery date.

Please include:

Your order number
Clear photographs of the item and the damaged or defective area
Photographs of the original product packaging
Photographs of the shipping box or mailer
A photograph showing the shipping label
A brief explanation of the problem

An unboxing video is helpful when available but is not required.

Please keep the item and all packaging until we finish reviewing the claim. We may request additional photographs or require the item to be returned before providing a resolution.

After reviewing the claim, we may offer an appropriate resolution, including repair, replacement, correction, store credit, partial refund, or full refund. The available resolution will depend on the nature of the problem, product availability, and whether the item can reasonably be repaired or reproduced.

When we confirm that an item arrived damaged, defective, or incorrect, Aka Meowniverse will cover any approved replacement or return-shipping costs.

2. Fragile and Collectible Artisan Keycaps

Artisan keycaps are decorative, collectible products with sculpted details, raised elements, painted surfaces, coatings, metal components, resin parts, or complex shapes. Some artisan keycaps are handmade, while others are manufactured in small batches from designs created by our guest artists.

Because of their detailed construction, artisan keycaps must be installed, removed, handled, transported, and stored carefully.

Coverage for arrival damage does not apply to damage that occurs after safe delivery because of:

Dropping, crushing, impact, bending, twisting, pulling, or excessive force
Improper installation or removal
Pulling the keycap by a decorative or sculpted element
Using an unsuitable keycap puller or tool
Installing the keycap on an incompatible switch or stem
Repeatedly forcing the keycap onto or off a switch
Using the product in a manner inconsistent with its intended purpose
Scratching, abrasion, exposure to chemicals, excessive heat, direct flame, prolonged sunlight, moisture, or improper cleaning
Damage caused by pets, children, storage conditions, travel, or ordinary accidents
Normal wear, minor surface wear, or gradual deterioration caused by use

Once an artisan keycap has been safely delivered, the customer is responsible for its care. We do not provide free refunds or replacements for damage caused by mishandling, accidental breakage, improper installation, or failure to follow applicable product-care instructions.

We may offer a paid repair or paid replacement when practical, but availability is not guaranteed.

3. Fully Customized and Personalized Products

Fully customized and personalized products are final sale and cannot be returned, exchanged, or refunded because they are created specifically for the customer and cannot ordinarily be resold.

This includes products customized according to a customer's:

Photograph
Pet, person, character, object, or individual reference
Requested colors, markings, composition, or design
Name, initials, wording, measurements, or other personal specifications
Approved sketch, mockup, or design instructions

Customers are responsible for reviewing all submitted information, reference images, spelling, measurements, compatibility requirements, design selections, and approvals before production begins.

A difference in artistic interpretation, handmade appearance, color as displayed by different screens, or minor variation from a reference image is not considered a defect when the finished product reasonably follows the approved design.

However, final-sale status does not remove our responsibility when:

The item arrives damaged in transit
We send the wrong product
We make a material error compared with the approved customization
The item has a verified workmanship defect present at delivery

In these circumstances, contact us within five calendar days of delivery. Depending on the issue, we may repair, correct, remake, replace, or refund the affected item.

Because customized products may be difficult or impossible to reproduce exactly, the appropriate remedy will be determined individually.

4. Handmade Standard-Design and Made-to-Order Products

Handmade products that use one of our standard designs but are not fully personalized are not eligible for change-of-mind returns or ordinary refunds.

This includes standard-design products that are sculpted, cast, printed, assembled, painted, finished, or otherwise made after the order is placed.

If a handmade standard-design product arrives damaged, defective, or materially different from the listing, contact us within five calendar days of delivery.

For an approved claim involving a handmade product, our usual resolution will be:

Repair, when practical;
Replacement or remake, when repair is not appropriate; or
Store credit or refund when repair or replacement is unavailable or unreasonable.

Replacement products are handmade and may contain slight variations from the original product photographs or from the item being replaced. Such minor variations are part of the handmade process and are not defects.

5. Guest-Artist Manufactured Artisan Keycaps

Certain guest-artist keycaps are created from an artist's original design and manufactured by a production partner rather than individually handmade.

Eligible guest-artist manufactured keycaps may be returned within 14 calendar days of delivery only when all of the following conditions are met:

The return is requested before the product has been used
The keycap has not been mounted on a switch
The item is undamaged, unaltered, and in resalable condition
All original packaging, inserts, labels, and accessories are included
The product was not marked final sale, limited-drop final sale, customized, or nonreturnable on its product page

The customer is responsible for return-shipping costs for change-of-mind returns. Original shipping charges are not refundable.

Because mounting a keycap can create stem wear, scratches, pressure marks, or other changes, mounted keycaps are not eligible for change-of-mind returns.

This section does not limit assistance for a verified product defect, incorrect item, or shipping damage reported within the required five-day period.

6. Other Eligible Standard Products

Standard, non-customized products such as eligible acrylic accessories, keychains, pins, magnets, keycap pullers, and similar merchandise may be returned within 14 calendar days of delivery.

To qualify, the product must be:

Unused and unworn
Undamaged and unaltered
In its original condition
Returned with all original packaging, labels, accessories, and components
Free from marks, scratches, odors, pet hair, residue, or other signs of use

The customer is responsible for return-shipping costs when the return is based on personal preference, change of mind, or ordering the wrong item.

Original shipping charges are not refundable unless the return results from our error or a verified arrival problem.

7. Handmade Variations Are Not Defects

Handmade and small-batch products may have minor differences in:

Color or color placement
Brushwork
Surface texture
Resin clarity
Small bubbles or internal variations
Layer lines on 3D-printed components
Shape, alignment, or dimensions
Finish, gloss, or matte appearance
Placement of small decorative details

Product colors may also appear different depending on screen settings, lighting, photography, and surrounding colors.

Minor variations that do not materially affect the product's appearance, function, or described quality are normal characteristics of handmade or small-batch production and are not considered damage or defects.

Any disclosed “imperfect,” “B-grade,” sample, prototype, discounted, or seconds-quality product is sold based on the condition described in its listing.

8. Nonreturnable and Final-Sale Items

Unless required otherwise by applicable law, we do not accept returns or exchanges for:

Fully customized or personalized products
Handmade made-to-order products
Products marked “final sale”
Clearance products
Limited-drop products marked final sale
Gift cards
Products that have been used, mounted, worn, altered, cleaned, repaired, or damaged
Products missing original packaging, labels, components, or accessories
Items returned without prior authorization
Shipping charges, except when the return results from our error
Convention or in-person purchases marked final sale at the time of purchase

Discounted products are not automatically final sale unless the product page, receipt, or sales notice identifies them as final sale.

9. Compatibility and Installation

Customers are responsible for checking product dimensions, switch compatibility, stem compatibility, keyboard clearance, profile, layout, and other specifications before purchasing.

A product is not defective merely because it is incompatible with the customer's keyboard, switch, display board, keychain component, or intended setup when the relevant compatibility information was accurately disclosed.

Do not force a keycap onto a switch. Stop installation immediately if the fit appears unusually tight, loose, misaligned, or incompatible.

Returns based on compatibility may be accepted only when the product otherwise qualifies under the applicable return section and has not been mounted, damaged, or altered.

10. Return Authorization

Do not mail a product back without contacting us first.

To request a return, email [CUSTOMER SERVICE EMAIL] with your order number and reason for the request. If the return is approved, we will provide return instructions and the applicable return address.

Items sent back without prior authorization may not be accepted.

The customer is responsible for packaging an approved return securely. We strongly recommend using a trackable shipping method. Aka Meowniverse is not responsible for a customer return that is lost, misdirected, inadequately packaged, or damaged during return transit.

Return authorization does not guarantee a refund. Returned products will be inspected before the requested resolution is approved.

11. Return Inspection and Unauthorized Damage

If a returned product shows signs of mounting, use, wear, alteration, accidental damage, missing components, improper packaging, or a condition different from that described in the return request, we may:

Deny the return;
Deduct an amount reflecting the loss in value;
Return the product to the customer at the customer's expense; or
Offer another reasonable resolution.

We reserve the right to compare the returned item with order records, listing photographs, production records, packing photographs, and information submitted with the return request.

12. Refunds

We will notify you after receiving and inspecting an approved return.

If a refund is approved, it will be issued to the original payment method. Please allow up to 10 business days after approval for us to process the refund. Your bank or payment provider may require additional time to post the funds to your account.

Original shipping charges and optional expedited-shipping charges are not refundable unless the order was incorrect, materially defective, or damaged before or during delivery.

We cannot issue a refund to a different payment method.

13. Replacements

Replacement approval is subject to product and material availability.

Some products are limited edition, discontinued, one of a kind, imported in limited quantities, or created by a guest artist. An identical replacement may therefore be unavailable.

When an identical replacement is unavailable, we may offer:

Repair
A comparable replacement
Store credit
A partial refund
A refund for the affected item

A replacement does not restart or extend the original damage-reporting or return period for unrelated wear, misuse, or accidental damage.

14. Lost, Stolen, or Misdelivered Packages

Please contact us promptly if tracking shows an unusual delay or if a package appears lost in transit.

If tracking shows that a package was delivered but the customer cannot locate it, the customer should first:

Check the delivery location and surrounding area
Ask household members, neighbors, building staff, or mailroom staff
Contact the shipping carrier
Allow a short period for an incorrectly scanned package to appear

Aka Meowniverse is not automatically responsible for theft, loss after confirmed delivery, an incorrect address submitted by the customer, or a package retrieved by another person at the delivery location.

We will reasonably assist with carrier inquiries or claims where possible. Any replacement or refund for a package marked delivered will be evaluated individually based on the available tracking and delivery evidence.

15. Order Cancellations

Standard in-stock orders may be cancelled only before they enter packing or fulfillment.

Customized, personalized, handmade, and made-to-order products may not be cancelled after design work, material preparation, production, printing, casting, painting, or manufacturing has begun.

Any nonrefundable design deposit, rush fee, commission fee, or work already completed will remain nonrefundable when disclosed before purchase.

16. Gifts

Refunds can only be issued to the original payment method used for the order.

A gift recipient may be eligible for an exchange or store credit when the item otherwise qualifies under this policy. Proof of purchase may be required.

17. Customer-Service Discretion and Legal Rights

We reserve the right to investigate suspected return abuse, fraudulent claims, altered evidence, repeated damage claims, or material inconsistencies in a request.

Nothing in this policy is intended to exclude or limit rights that cannot legally be excluded under applicable consumer-protection law.

Questions about this policy may be sent to:

Aka Meowniverse
hello.akameowniverse@gmail.com